Jewel-toned wings gleam in the sun as this bauble of a bug flits from flower to flower. Fast and furious wingbeats, as many as seventy per second, produce an audible hum as it hovers, sipping nectar.

Scientists have discovered that waxworm caterpillars can break down polyethylene plastic, one of the most common and persistent pollutants on Earth. These “plastivores” metabolize plastic into body ...